Originally posted by reeddi
To tell the turth, it is a DREAM of mine to work at Disney. I was hoping Safari Steve or another cast member could help me out with some info.
I currently live in NC and wouldn't be able to go to Casting. Is there a way to send a resume or apply without going there?
I don't care what kind of position I could get but what do you think are some really good ones?
This may be bad to ask but what are some typical wages?
Do you get any say in work schedules? I have 2 kids (7 & 2).
Is it as great to work there as I think it might be?
(I love people and everyone is so nice there)
I am so excited about this possibility.
OK ... the very first thing you have to do is to decide WHY you want to work for Disney. Why has it always been a dream? If the reason you have always dreamed of working for Disney is because you love the Disney parks as a guest, then you need to rethink that VERY carefully. If you do get a position at WDW, you will be taking a job. Just like any other job. You may be stuck inside, in a kitchen all day, with no guest contact at all. You could end up in a stock room, putting batteries in glow sticks all day. Then again, you could be taking tickets or running a cash register, with lots of park time and guest contact. But if you truly "don't care what kind of position," you have to be ready for any of those possibilities.
Disney gets thousands of people each year who think that the ultimate in dream jobs would be a position at WDW, and they come in saying "I'll do anything, just to work here." Most of them get placed in Foods, Merchandise or Custodial, and leave within a year, because they discover that working at Disney and playing at Disney are two very different things.
If you get past all of that and still want to apply, you can start with the Disney Careers website, but unless you have a unique talent that Disney is searching for, you really will need to walk into Casting, fill out an application, and talk to someone. There are so many people standing in line for jobs these days that they're not likely to hire you for a basic hourly job until you're already here. Even if you do get someone to call you back, the first question they'll ask is "when will you be available?" Until you know what date you'll be in Florida and ready to work, there's not much they can do except say "come in and see us when you get here."
If you send a resume or make a phone call, the resume or message will end up on someone's desk, but it'll be weeks and weeks (if ever) before you hear back. Unless, again, you have a unique skill that Disney is searching for. If you know someone at Disney who can walk a resume over for you and talk to someone in person, that's a bit better, but you really won't get anywhere unless you're down here, in person, ready to be interviewed.
You asked what jobs were "really good ones." That depends on what you like to do. There are good jobs all over property, but what I think is a really good job may be something you hate, so that question would be easier to answer with a little more info.
How much say you have in work schedules will depend on the job, the department and several other factors. If you have specific needs ("I have to be home by 3pm every day to meet my kids after school" or "I can't work on school holidays") it will be harder to place you, and you won't have as many choices.
Disney is a great place to work for many people. For many others, it's a job and just a job. But you do have to realize -- and those of us who work here can't say this enough -- that if the only reason you're dreaming of a job at WDW is because you like it so much as a guest, then you may be setting yourself up for a big disappointment. Once you know how the magic works, it's sometimes not as magical.
Good luck!
